1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a folding chair and, more particularly, to a folding chair which is concealable within a relatively thin frame.
2. Background Art
In the prior art, folding chairs are well-known. The following United States patents are representative of the prior art and illustrate many of the devices that have been used in the past.
In Wang, U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,201, entitled “Folding Chair Having a Reversible Seat”, issued Nov. 15, 1983, a folding chair is shown with a reversible seat and having sliding grooves on the inner side of the upper legs to facilitate up and down sliding  movement of the seat while folding it for storage.
In Goetz, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 314,871, entitled “Foldable Chair”, issued Feb. 26, 1991, a folding chair is shown with a seat movable along grooves formed in the upper legs.
In Merritt et al., U.S. Pat. No. 317,402, entitled “Folding Chair”, issued May 5, 1885, a chair is shown which has two pairs of pivots and slide grooves enabling the chair to be folded flat. One set of grooves on the upper legs permits the seat back to slide therealong and the other set of grooves connecting the legs together permitting the legs to move linearly relative to each other.
In Howarth, U.S. Pat. No. 63,897, entitled “Folding Chair”, issued Apr. 16, 1867, a folding chair is shown with grooves formed in the upper legs for guiding movement of the seat.
In Hopkins, U.S. Pat. No. 326,564, entitled “Folding Chair”, issued Sep. 22, 1885, a flexible seat is supported by front and rear bars, the rear bar sliding in opposed grooves defined in spaced, upright back standards.
In Schmitt, U.S. Pat. No. 1,800,107, entitled “Folding Chair”, issued Apr. 7, 1931, a metal chair is shown in which the seat is provided with sliding pivot blocks that move within channels defined in the chair leg.
In Silverman, U.S. Pat. No. 1,704,712, entitled “Folding Chair”, issued Mar. 12, 1929, a metal chair is disclosed where the upper ends of the rear legs  have pivots sliding within grooves defined in the sides edges of the seat.
In Wilson, U.S. Pat. No. 162,447, entitled “Adjustable Iron Chair”, issued Apr. 20, 1875, the ends of the front legs of a chair are each slidable in a slot defined in a horizontal supporting bar.
The above patents illustrate a portion of the wide array of folding chairs that have been designed. Some are not durable or sturdy. Some cannot be folded completely flat to conserve storage space, while others are heavy to carry or difficult to fold and unfold. Thus, those chairs cannot be conveniently stored or concealed. Other chairs employ complex mechanisms and are costly to make.